


Seven Minutes

by writer0895



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Jake, F/M, Slow Burn, actual crime fighting also takes place, bisexual gina, bisexual rosa, everyone is bi except holt who is gay, primarily jake and amy, super long, there's like two scenes where dianetti takes place, when i say slow burn i mean it like jane austen is going to be proud
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writer0895/pseuds/writer0895
Summary: Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago share a complicated relationship. Complicated because he is in love with her and she is oblivious. However, when a simple murder case becomes more than they can handle, it dramatically disrupts their life forcing them to come to terms with their feelings.





	1. Locked out of heaven

_"You bring me to my knees, you make me testify  
You can make a sinner change his ways"_

_\- Bruno Mars, Locked Out of Heaven_

Everything has to start somewhere. The big bang, the miracle of birth, ‘once upon a time’ and so on. But usually, the start of something is the middle of something else.  And so it slips by us in the monotony of days and we remain oblivious to our stories. More often than not the beginnings elude us.

Our story could begin the first time Jake Peralta looked at Amy Santiago and felt his heart skip a beat or the first day they met – with their bad haircuts, nervous smiles and tentative handshakes, or the first moment when they decided to become police officers. But it doesn’t. Instead, it begins on Monday, the morning of March 16th.

Jake pushed the pile of books off of the table in one smooth sweep, his other arm wrapped around her waist. He faced her, a flirtatious smirk playing on his lips as he grabbed her and placed her on the now vacant table. He leaned in to kiss her while his hands ran through the sides of her legs, slowly pulling up her skirt.  Her lips were soft and full, and tasted like cherries. He gently broke off the kiss to unbutton her crisp white blouse, neatly tucked in the skirt. She reached forward to lightly suck on the skin along the length of his neck. Unable to help himself he moaned loudly.

“Shh...” She said, pulling away. Rows of bookshelves lined behind the two of them; sunlight piercing through the windows and highlighting the dust particles in the room.

“We’re in a library.” She continued, pushing her spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

Jake paused, taking in the view in front of him - Amy Santiago perched on a table with books scattered around them; more specifically Amy Santiago reaching out and pulling him towards her.

“Yes ma’am,” replied Jake.

“Because you wouldn’t want me to gag you, now would you?”

Jake groaned and closed the gap between them once more. She grabbed his hair with one hand while the other pulled out the lapels of her own shirt. Without breaking the kiss, Jake pushed back her shirt. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his tongue ran down the front of her neck as he peppered ghost kisses to her chest. She closed her eyes and leaned back to allow him better access.  His knuckles traced the edge of her bra clasp before snapping it open. Pulling the bra off, he let it fall on the floor beside the shirt with a shrill jingling sound. Amy laughed lightly at the sound and it only grew louder till it engulfed the two of them.

Jake groaned loudly and groped around to turn off his alarm. But even as the noise ceased the scene in front of him began dissolving; faster the harder to tried to hold on... like sand in tight fists. Before he could even contemplate a few more minutes of shut-eye, the alarm began to ring again.

“Fucking hell.”

Jake took a long, steamy shower to wash away the remnants of his dream, and as a result, arrived at the 99th precinct a good half hour past nine. He had barely stepped off the elevator on to the first floor when he was greeted by a short, eager man carrying a wicker picnic basket.

“Hey Charles,” greeted Jake, walking towards the detectives’ bullpen.

“Good morning Jakey.”

Charles followed him, grinning at the basket in his hand and then at Jake. He was clearly waiting for Jake to ask the obvious question, and Jake only hesitated for a second before obliging.

“What’cha you got there buddy?”

“I saved you these delicious cookies I made. I handed them out at the morning briefing and it made everyone in the room wet.”

“What,” asked Jake, cringing slightly.

“Because they’re so mouth wateringly delicious.”

“Charles! Gross,” said Jake. As he exclaimed loudly, he caught the eye of a tall, dark haired woman behind Charles.  

“Why don’t you try one,” she called out from across the room, grinning unabashedly. “They’re incredible.”

“Thanks, Rosa,” replied Charles.

“Uhhh... sure,” said Jake, reaching out and picking up a cookie from the basket. He tentatively took a bite, under the watchful and eager eyes of Charles.

“Hey, this isn’t so bad. Is that nutmeg?”

Charles nodded in excitement.

“But there’s something different that I can’t quite figure out,” continued Jake.

“Actually, what you taste is probably the special powder made from the dried brains of -”

“Nope. Nuh uh,” said Jake, cutting off Charles. He swallowed deeply to resist the reflux at the back of his throat. Observing Charles' put off expression, he hurriedly added, “You don’t want to tell me your secret ingredient.”

“Oh no Jake, I trust you completely. In fact, you’re in charge of my health directive.”

“What! That’s crazy,” Jake said. “You are engaged to Vivian.”

However, before Charles could reply, they were interrupted.

“If you’re done goofing around Peralta, Captain Holt wants to see us in his office.”

Jake turned around to face his partner, who wore a neutral expression that complemented her professional clothing. But neutral expression or not, he would bet on his life that she wasn’t pleased with his tardiness.

“Santiago,” he replied. “Good morning, how are you?”

“I’m busy, and so are you. After you’re done getting told off by the Captain for being late, we have a murder scene to report to. So if you could just get this done and over with...”

“Just get this done and over with – Title of your sex tape,” said Jake, grinning at her.  He quickly added, “Side note - do you wear glasses? You should wear glasses. I think you could totally pull off the librarian look.”

“Okay weirdo. You alright in there?” asked Amy, bemused and mildly confused.

“Yes Peralta, are you medically sound?” Raymond Holt, the captain of Brooklyn’s 99th precinct had ventured out of his office. Observing the ensemble gathered at his detective’s desk, he joined them and catching the end of the conversation, he had been unable to resist asking the question.

“Uhhh... yes?” Jake answered hesitatingly, detecting a trap in the captain’s question.

“Then you could have no reason to miss the morning briefing. I know you couldn’t have been held up at the bank because you are, as you have put it several times, ‘in crushing debt’.”

“Yuh-huh,” Jake nods.

“Peralta, this kind of behavior is unacceptable from my detectives.”

“C’mon sir, how about I promise it won’t happen again and you don’t scold me in front of everyone in an eerily accurate re-enactment of that one time in third grade when I told Becky Shaw that her mom was naked buddies with my father which caused our teacher, Miss Rachel, to publicly scold me. That was the day I truly learned snitches get stitches.”

“Very well Peralta. I’ll let you off with a warning but only because I need you to assist Detective Santiago on a murder case. As I’ve informed Santiago during the morning briefing which you missed-”

“We get it,” muttered Jake.

“…the victim is a 28-year-old Caucasian female; the husband found her.” Captain Holt continued, glossing over Jake’s interruption.

“I bet 50 whole dollars that the husband did it,” said Jake.

“This is not a gambling matter Peralta… but, I’ll take those odds.”

“You sound awfully confident sir.”

“Well, the husband in question is Lucas Wint, the notable civic leader.”

“Wait, the Lucas Wint? The one who established the Brooklyn community center?”

“Yes. So I want this case wrapped up as quickly as possible. And my 50 dollars too.”

“Of course captain,” interrupted Amy. “We will do you proud,” she added, raising her hand in a salute. Holt nodded at her.

“Alright, everyone, get back to work. Santiago, Peralta, CSU is waiting for you at the scene.”

“Aye aye captain,” said Jake, imitating Amy’s salute with a grin.

“And Peralta… please refrain from any more,” said Captain Holt, pausing briefly to consider his words, “…interesting anecdotes.”

Jake quickly deposited his bag in his locker and made his way to parking, hoping that Amy hadn’t left him behind. It was more of Captain Holt’s style than hers, but she did consider Holt to be her mentor and she wasn’t keen on Jake’s lateness either. However, once Jake arrived there, it became clear he need not have worried. Amy was waiting for him, leaning back on a non-standard issue vehicle, clearly annoyed.

“Please tell me you know how to drive stick. Because it’s either stick or the canary,” said Amy, in the manner of greeting when she saw him come up to her.

“Not the canary.” The canary was a police car that none of the officers preferred, mostly because of its ugly yellow shade.

“My thoughts precisely. So, can you drive stick?”

“Yes.”

Jake pulled out of the precinct parking with a lot more grace than usual, throwing a knowing smirk in Amy’s direction as he did so. He was smug about being able to drive stick, and not hesitant to show it.

She rolled her eyes in response but didn’t resist the smile that came upon her. There was something inexplicably endearing about the way he treated everything like a punch line. She admired the way he dissolved tension with mischief, even though she personally remained detached from his antics. Maybe it wasn't a matter of 'even though'; maybe that was precisely why she respected him for it. She had always been the serious type.  She wondered if she was jealous of him. She had never felt ashamed of her need to follow the rules or respect authority figures, but she couldn’t help but wonder. Amy paused her musings when Jake spoke up.

“You know if you can’t drive stick I can teach you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… my car is a stick so you can practice on it.”

“I bet I’m bad, like… really bad,” said Amy.

Jake grinned unabashedly at her. “Title of your sex tape.”

Amy ignored him and made a screeching noise while imitating a gear shift. Jake flinched visibly, before adding, “My poor car. Also, that’s the title -”

“Title of my follow up sex tape. I know.”

There was a momentary silence in the car before Amy continued. “Why the fuck would the screech of a bad gear shift remind you of sex noises? You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.”

Jake laughed out loud, his eyes on the road.

20 minutes later, Jake and Amy ducked under the tape securing the crime scene and entered Lucas Wint’s home. A uniformed police officer approached them consequently.

“You lot the detectives?” she asked.

“Yep. I’m Jake Peralta; this is my partner Detective Santiago,” replied Jake, as he and Amy flashed their badges.

“What do we know so far,” asked Amy, pulling out a notebook and a pen.

“The victim is Cindy Russo, 28-year-old Caucasian female. By all means appears to be exactly what you would expect the wife of a notable civic leader to be. Well-liked, charitable, and so on. The husband called 911; said he was returning from a work trip when he discovered the body,” said the officer.

“Right. Where is the husband,” asked Jake.

“He’s in the kitchen; One of you should talk to him. He insisted on speaking with a detective,” replied the cop. Then in a hushed tone, she added, “He’s Lucas Wint.”

“We know,” said Jake.

“Did they find any evidence,” asked Amy, ignoring Jake’s jab about Lucas Wint.

“CSU is currently combing through the scene, but there’s a bloody footprint near where the body was found that likely belongs to the perp,” said the officer. “And the ME is still examining the body. Although, I think given the bruise pattern, she was likely asphyxiated.”

“Did the neighbors hear anything?”

“Not exactly,” answered the officer hesitantly.

Amy and Jake raised their eyebrows simultaneously, the question obvious in their expressions.

“Well, their next door neighbor did hear some shouting between Wint and the victim but that was at least three weeks ago. Nothing recently.”

“Alright thanks; we’ll take it from here,” replied Amy, dismissing the officer.

“Santiago, how about I interview the husband,” asked Jake.

“Still think he’s our guy?”

“He better be. I cannot afford to lose 50 dollars to the Captain.”

Amy rolled her eyes at him. “Because of the crushing debt.”

“You know me so well,” Jake replied with a smirk.

“Alright; I’m going to check in with CSU and take a look at the crime scene.”

Jake walked off in the direction of the kitchen, randomly glancing at his surroundings in an attempt to gather a picture of the events. Amy, on the other hand, began inspecting the crime scene methodically; moving outwards from where the body was found. Every once in a while she paused to take notes.

She was inspecting the body when the ME approached her.

“You’re the primary on the case,” asked the ME.

“Yep. Detective Amy Santiago.”

“I’m Jacquelyn.”

“Do we have the time and cause of death,” asked Amy.

“The body is still fresh; I would put the time of death between 8:30 this morning to 10:30.”

“And cause?”

“Do you see the bruising pattern here,” asked the ME, pointing towards the victim’s neck. “The pattern is consistent with choking. But CSU found a pair of used cups in the kitchen so I can’t say for sure till I take the body back to the lab for an autopsy.”

“Alright; how long with that take?”

“Shouldn’t be more than a day. I’ll let your Captain know more from the lab.”

“Mmh hmm, okay.”

Amy signed off the body to the ME and went to the kitchen where Jake was questioning Lucas Wint.

“Mr Wint, do you travel often,” asked Jake. Amy frowned briefly at the question as she overheard the pair on her way to the CSU members.

“I don’t understand,” replied Wint.

“Well, you mentioned you had just arrived from a work trip. I was wondering how frequent are these work trips?”

“I understand the question; I simply don’t see how it is relevant to Cindy’s murder,” replied Wint.

A uniform was showing a pair of bagged cups to Amy as the conversation progressed.

“Sir, please answer the question. This is a murder investigation and we expect your complete cooperation,” replied Jake.

“I know this is a murder investigation. Do you think I don’t know that? That was my wife.” Wint answered, his voice increasing in volume as he spoke.

“Uh huh… sir please…”

“I travel about once or twice a month,” replied Wint, reluctantly.

“And what about your shoe size? You’re a man of large stature. You must easily be a size 10, right,” asked Jake.

“Hold on a moment. Are you insinuating that I murdered my wife?”

“Your neighbors heard you fighting earlier this month. Can you tell us what that was about?” Jake asked.

Lucas Wint stood up abruptly, towering slightly over Jake; who had shrunken into himself. At this point, Amy interrupted their conversation, her mouth set in a firm line.

“Mr Wint, I’m Detective Amy Santiago, the primary on this case.” Amy paused as Wint sat back in his chair.

“With all due respect, any type of information can be useful in a murder case. Knowing about the frequency of your travel plans, for instance, helps establish murderer’s window of opportunity,” she continued.

Wint calmed down a little and nodded at Amy.

“Please allow my partner to finish his questioning.”

“Alright.” Addressing Jake, he continued, “I’m 9 and a half. And every married couple had their fair share of fights. ”

“What was it about exactly?”

Wint hesitated momentarily, but seeing Amy’s expectant look, he continued.

“My wife had a bit of a gambling problem. For the most part, she seemed to have it under control but the last couple of months – well, she’d lost a lot of money and it put a strain on our marriage.”

Jake and Amy shared a quick, knowing glance.

“Mr Wint,” said Amy cautiously. “We will require a sample of your DNA.”

“Why? You said I wasn’t a suspect.”

“Everyone is a suspect in a murder case. You had the opportunity and the means,” said Jake.

“Plus once we can eliminate you as a suspect we can all move on quickly,” added Amy attempting to smooth things over.

“Fine.”

Amy made her way back to the CSU as Jake continued questioning Lucas Wint. He didn’t realize it at the time. No; in that moment he believed it was just another day – of solving murders, of making Amy laugh, of listening to Charles talk about gross food, of being reprimanded by his captain. He had no way of knowing that everything would soon change. It is only when one looks back with the narrative gift of hindsight that it falls into place – and everything splits into before and after. And that moment right there was where it all began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,  
> Thank you for reading. This fic is going to be super long and something that has been a (super slow) work in progress for months now and I'm really pleased with the way it's turning out. I hope you enjoyed it.  
> P.s. Comments are better than chocolate *wink wink*


	2. Make me feel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't know anything about how police investigations work. Please please ignore all the technical errors and stuff. Also, big shout out to D for helping me edit this. cheers.

_"It's like I'm powerful with a little bit of tender_

_An emotional, sexual bender_

_Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better."_

_\- Janelle Monae, Make Me Feel_

Later, about two years into the future, when Jake thought back on the events preceding _the day_ , he found it funny (and by funny, he meant deeply unamusing) the way he had locked up a darkness within himself, allowing it to fester and slowly seep into his actions. His actions should have been a result of bravery, or the pursuit of happiness, or even love. Instead, he found guidance in the jealousy, the fear of failure and rejection. Even when he told her; uttered those three words out loud, it was fear speaking. Fear and dread.  

By the time Jake and Amy returned from Wint’ house, the morning rush at the precinct had transitioned into the afternoon lull. Jake watched Amy as she immediately strode off in the direction of Holt’s office, presumably to give him an update. Once she was out of sight, he settled in a chair next to Rosa’s desk and propped his feet up on it.

“Ssup,” he asked, in a slow drawl, stretching out the word.

“Feet off,” said Rosa, her expression deadpan. Jake’s sneakers had come too close to the paperwork she was filling out, and Jake felt at least three beat cops look in their direction. Not everyone could pull these kinds of shenanigans with Rosa without getting injured. In fact, she had conjured up a knife and used it to push off his feet as she spoke. Jake grinned and sat up straighter, holding his hands up in the 'I surrender' pose. The chair squeaked with his movements.

“Where’s Charles?”

“Working a case.”

Jake bit back the sarcastic comment that was on the tip of his tongue and instead continued to stare at Rosa, waiting for a response. Realising that he wouldn’t leave her be, Rosa continued.

“He left to check on a lead right about after you and Santiago left.”

“And he’s not back yet?”

“He said he was going near Alicante’s.”

“Oh. Right right right right… Alicante’s; that restaurant with the gross food.”

Rosa grunted in response, returning to her work seemingly unaffected by Jake’s presence. Jake started tapping out a beat on her desk, bouncing along in his chair. When it failed to gather her attention, Jake stopped.

“So Rosa, you will not believe the fight my neighbors go into this -”

“Don’t care.”

“Okay.” Jake continued after a moment. “So… do you want to take your lunch break now or…”

“Come on man. Don’t you have work to do?”

“Actually I don’t. Funny story, I’m glad you asked.”

“I really didn’t.”

“My hunch was correct. Lucas Wint a 1000 percent murdered his wife. Get this – the ME puts the time of death approximately between 8:30 to 10. Wint called 911 at 9:13.” Jake used air quotes as he continued, “He was returning from a work trip.”

“So? Lots of people take work trips.”

“Pfft. Anyway, he didn’t see or hear anything, leaving him as the one person who had the best opportunity.”

“Jake, that theory has a lot of holes. It’s like…” Rosa paused, looking for the right turn of words. “It’s like swiss cheese.”

“Oh no; that’s Captain Holt’s least favorite type of cheese,” said Jake, continuing, “… because we all definitely have opinions on different types of cheese. What! I’m fancy.”

Rosa smiled lightly in response.

“But I digest -”

“You mean digress.”

“Uh huh, whatever. Look, CSI found two used glasses in the kitchen with trace DNA. One of them matches the victim, so the other one’s got to be the perp’s. We’ve swabbed Wint for DNA and the lab will confirm that he is the killer and then I will have gloriously bested Captain Holt in yet another one of our classic bets.”

“Great work. Why don’t you get started on the paperwork or something,” asked Rosa, her attention returning to her work. Jake didn’t reply. His eyes were fixed on the elevator which had opened to allow a cheerful, bright-eyed cop to step out. He glanced around, clearly looking for someone in particular. Eventually, he caught Jake’s eye and walked in his direction. Jake exhaled sharply, clenching his jaw tightly.

“Hey Jake,” greeted the cop. Jake smiled tightly at him, while Rosa looked up startled.

“Teddy, what are you doing here,” asked Jake.

“I am looking for Amy. Do you where she is?”

“Actually, we got assigned this super important case today. You know Lucas Wint, the community leader,” asked Jake. Teddy nodded. “Well, his wife was found murdered,” continued Jake in a hushed tone.

“Oh no.”

“It’s a high profile case you know; Amy is probably really busy. You should probably just call her later.”

“She’s in the break room,” said Rosa, interrupting Jake.

“Or I guess… she is taking a break. Breaks are good; helps focus better you know,” said Jake.

“Thanks, Diaz. Jake,” replied Teddy, nodding at the two and walking past Rosa’s desk towards the break room. Jake twisted in his chair to look at Teddy and Amy.

“You’re unbelievable,” said Rosa.

Jake didn’t reply right away, but after a moment turned back in his chair.

“I am horrible at lip reading… unless Teddy is talking about galloping butt bumpers,” said Jake. “Do you think he is talking about galloping butt bumpers,” he asked earnestly after a second.

Rosa rolled her eyes at him.

“What is happening to you?”

“What? Nothing. I’m always like this.”

“‘It’s a high profile case you know; Amy is probably really busy,” said Rosa, in an uncanny imitation of Jake. “You were just bragging about how the case is solved.”

“I do not sound like that. You take that back.”

Rosa ignored his response as she continued. “I’ve known you for nearly 7 years. It’s not like you to get hung up on a girl.”

“Hung up,” said Jake, his voice a pitch higher than usual. “I’m not hung up on Amy. I’m the opposite of hung up. I’m dropped down. I’m so dropped down I can feel the earth.”

“I just saw you try to avoid Teddy from seeing Amy.”

“Yeah… that wasn’t my proudest moment. And I definitely wish you weren’t there to see it.”

“You have got to move on man. This isn’t -”

Rosa cut herself off when she saw Amy coming up her desk. Amy nodded at Rosa and addressed Jake.

“Hey, will you answer if the lab calls to confirm a match for Wint’s DNA? Captain asked them to fast track it.”

“Really?” Jake sounded impressed. The forensics lab was usually backed up and it was impossible to expect a quick answer from their end. Jake himself had had many a case which he had solved but couldn’t close because the evidence required that would neatly tie everything together would be missing.

“Deputy Chief Commissioner Podolski pulled some strings,” answered Amy.

Teddy let out a low whistle. Jake curved his lips upwards in a sneer at his whistle. He wished he could whistle but all he’d ever managed were raspberries.

“But why,” asked Jake.

“Clearly Wint must know Commissioner Podolski,” replied Teddy. Jake ignored him and looked at Amy with raised eyebrows.

“I don’t think Captain Holt told Commissioner Podolski that our prime suspect is Wint,” answered Amy.

“Damn captain. That’s sneaky.”

“Right! Totally unexpected from him. I think he’s under a lot of pressure too,” said Amy. Teddy cleared his throat, interrupting Amy in the process. She stopped herself from launching into a monologue about the kinds of pressure Holt was under.

“So, will you look out for the phone call? I’m going out for lunch.”

“Sure. Don’t do anything too sexual,” said Jake, giving a thumbs up sign to Teddy and Amy. They shot a weird glance in his direction and left without a word. Once they were out of sight, Jake groaned and put his head down on the desk.

“Pathetic.”

“Thank you, Rosa. That’s very helpful.”

“Go wait by Amy’s desk for that phone call. Maybe if you win that bet money from Holt, you’ll be able to buy yourself some dignity.”

“I’m going now.”

Hours had passed by the time the call came. Amy had returned from lunch and didn’t offer to share the details. Jake resisted the masochistic urge to ask. They spoke little; Jake focused on his other open cases while Amy went through her notes to lay out an airtight motive for Lucas Wint to murder his wife. Charles had also returned to the precinct and then later, left with Rosa for drinks. One by one their colleagues had filed out, wishing the pair a good night. The desks were starting to fill up by the early birds of the night shift.

When the call did come, Amy picked it up and put it on speaker.

“Detective Santiago?”

“This is she.”

“This is Jacquelyn, from forensics. I’ll send over the official report soon but I thought you’d want to know that Lucas Wint’s DNA was not a match for that found at the crime scene.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Amy hung up the phone as Jake threw the pen he was holding at the desk.

“I was so sure it was him. Everything pointed in his direction.”

Amy sighed and shook her head. The presence of unknown DNA meant that there had been a third person at the scene that was unaccounted for and that their case was now blown wide. Before she could say anything, her phone rang once again. She glanced questioningly at Jake, who shrugged, before putting the call on speaker.

“Hey babe; I couldn’t reach you on your cell.” The booming voice of Teddy Wells came through the phone. Jake raised his eyebrows and put his head down, making a show of concentrating on his work but clearly listening in on the conversation. Amy tried to take him off speaker but before she could, he continued talking.

“Listen, I just found out that my parents are coming into town this weekend and I want you to meet them.”

“Teddy -” began Amy, once again attempting to ask him to pause for a minute while she took him off speaker but he continued speaking over her.

“Look, babe, I know you’re probably nervous about meeting the parents; it is a big step but don’t worry. You’ll be fine. They’ll love you. And we can meet up tomorrow, or the day after to prep. I know you love preparing and -”

“TEDDY,” said Amy loudly, speaking over him. “Let me take you off the speaker.” She didn’t wait to hear his “oh sure” as she picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear. Jake gave in the urge to peek at Amy when she spoke so loudly. She offered him a polite smile and hummed noncommittally as she listened to Teddy and Jake took the opportunity to let his glance linger a few moments longer.

“Look, I’m at work. I’m busy; we can hash out the details later.”

Jake looked back down once he felt that he was entering 'staring' territory. He didn’t stop eavesdropping, however.

“Yeah. I’ll try. I can’t promise anything. I told you about Wint’s case, didn’t I? No, I can’t share details. Look, I’m swamped.”

Amy didn’t say anything for a minute as she listened to Teddy’s reply.

“Okay. Alright. I have to go now; Captain Holt is calling me… Okay, bye.” Unable to control himself, Jake let out a snort at her lie. Amy sighed as she hung up the phone.

“You can drop the act Peralta; I know you were eavesdropping.”

Jake looked up, pressing his lips tightly to suppress a grin.

“Whaaat. Nooo. Me? Eavesdropping? Nooo. Who is eavesdropping? I don’t know her,” he said. He raised his shoulder and pressed his face back into his neck. Amy laughed at the appearance of his many double chins and rolled her eyes.

“Sooo, meeting the parents. That’s a big step,” Jake continued in a slightly more serious tone. Amy sighed and nodded; her expression grave.

“Come on, are you really nervous?”

“No. It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s nothing; I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s go back to the case.”

“Okaaayyy,” said Jake, dragging out the word.

“We have to let Captain Holt know that Wint isn’t our guy. We’re back to square one and this is a top priority case.”

“Oh no,” gasped Jake loudly. Amy raised her eyebrows in alarm.

“I owe him 50 bucks.”

The next day, the pair met up outside Wint’s office. They had messaged each other well into the night to prepare a list of questions to ask him and even before they checked in at the precinct, they wanted to interview him. Amy already had her notepad out as they were ushered into Lucas Wint’s office by his secretary. He offered them water and informed them that Wint would join them in a minute. Jake couldn’t help but wonder if this was intentional – walking out of his own office just to keep them waiting. He rolled his eyes at the thought. _Even if it was intentional, what a dumb effort at power-play._ Amy was making a note of Wint’s office, especially his personal artifacts.

“Hey did you notice he only has one picture of Cindy Russo despite being her husband,” asked Amy.

Jake shrugged. “Weird. But then again, he’s back to work one day after he found his wife murdered so he’s clearly a sociopath or something.”

“Maybe he’s just checking in.”

“Nope. I peeked at his schedule. He’s working full time.”

“Is that why you were flirting with the secretary?”

“Yeah uh. Plus, he’s fine on the eyes.”

Amy rolled her eyes at him.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He isn’t our guy,” she said.

“Maybe he hired someone to do the job for him. Given his influence and contacts, it wouldn’t be out of the question.”

“Of course,” said Amy, nodding. “But DNA evidence is pretty damning. We’ll either have to get a confession from him or his accomplice for it to hold up in court.”

Jake didn’t reply as Wint entered the room. He crossed the room and took his seat across the desk before addressing them.

“Detectives, how can I help you today?”

“Mr Wint, we had some more questions for you,” said Amy.

“I see. Do you have any updates about the investigation?”

“We are not at liberty to discuss at this point,” said Amy, before hurriedly adding, “But the DNA sample we found at the crime scene wasn’t a match for your sample, so we are looking at other suspects. Do you know if anyone would have wanted to hurt your wife?”

“I didn’t realize I was a suspect.”

Amy and Jake shared a quick glance before Amy answered.

“Like I had said yesterday, we have to look into every possible person till we can eliminate them for sure.”

“Just doing the job, you know. The daily grind,” said Jake, interjecting with a fist pump. He stopped immediately when he noticed the expression on Wint’s face. Amy cleared her throat in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

“So, do you know anyone who would have any reason to harm your wife?”

“That’s an excellent question detective,” said Wint. Amy stiffened her back slightly, so slightly that anyone else would’ve missed it. But Jake noticed and instinctively turned a little in his seat; a body movement that asked ‘what’s wrong?’ But neither of them said a word and Wint continued.

“It’s a pity you didn’t ask this question yesterday. Instead of this one here treating me like I killed my wife.”

Amy wasn’t sure if Wint intended to continue speaking or if the conversation had come to a conclusion, but she didn’t want to find out and simply started speaking.

“Sir, I’m sorry for my partner’s behavior. It was completely unprofessional. But I assure you, we want the same thing as you do – to find out who killed your wife. So if you could just…”

“I don’t know anyone who would want to harm Cindy.”

“What about the gambling? Did she owe anyone money?”

“No. Her debts were paid off; that’s why we were fighting - because she had asked me to pay them off for her.

“Maybe there are some debts that she had been hiding from you… to avoid a fight perhaps,” suggested Amy.

“I doubt it. She swore off of gambling; she even went to a couple of meetings for other addicts. ”

“Did you notice anything or anyone odd in the past few days?”

“Not really.”

Amy pursed her lips, thinking. Wint spoke up after a moment.

“Actually, I remember seeing a text someone sent to Cindy. It said ‘let’s catch up soon’ and the thing is, it was from an unknown number so Cindy couldn’t have known this person.”

“Oh,” said Amy.

“Cindy’s cell phone is with CSU,” said Jake, addressing Amy. Amy nodded.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time. I figured it might be a mistake, someone probably had the wrong number.”

“Probably, but we’ll look into it. Thank you, Mr Wint.”

“Could we have access to Cindy’s personal accounts; see if we can spot any discrepancies?” Jake said, addressing Wint directly for the first time.

Wint nodded.

“I’ll ask my secretary to email you the documents. If that’s all detectives…”

Amy nodded and once again thanked him for his cooperation as they exited the room.

Jake started the car as Amy opened the passenger side door. Once Amy was buckled in, he started driving, not saying much. The silence in the car was heavy as Jake built up the nerve and Amy, sensing that Jake was trying to speak, waited in anticipation.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last. Amy frowned; this was unexpected. “I should have been a better detective instead of just assuming Wint was the murderer. I should have asked all the right questions yesterday.”

“It’s okay Jake.”

“I hope I don’t get you in trouble. I know Holt said this is a priority case and if it comes down to it, feel free to pin it all on me.”

“I won’t hesitate,” said Amy smiling. “Feel free to pin it all on me – Title of your sex tape,” she continued. Jake grinned in response.

“I see the teacher has become the teachee.”

“Student. There is literally a word for it. Student.”

“Eh,” said Jake, shrugging lightly, not particularly bothered.

“Just FYI,” said Amy, after a minute of silence wherein Jake shuffled with the radio, “You weren’t a terrible detective. Wint ticked all the right boxes; it made complete sense for him to be a prime candidate as a suspect.”

“Thanks.”

“And if it wasn’t obvious… the things I said – about you being unprofessional – was just to shut him up. I didn’t mean it, just this once.”

Jake smiled, warmth filling his body right to the tip of his toes. He hadn’t even realized how much that had affected him till he felt the weight lift off him. He felt so light he could’ve sworn that he could fly.

“I know Santiago. You are too much in love with me to ever badmouth me.”

Amy laughed lightly and Jake, overcome with a sense of déjà vu, couldn’t help but stare at her. Eventually, he looked away and focused on the road. She hadn’t commented on his quip about her being in love with him; she probably hadn’t even noticed it but he could feel his heart lurch in his chest at the thought of the possibility of it all.

Later that afternoon Jake was alone at his desk, poring over Cindy Russo’s financial records. He stretched in his chair and rubbed his eyes when Amy walked into the precinct. She rushed to her desk, opposite to his and settled in while apologizing for being late.

“Amy Santiago. Explain yourself this instant missy. You were five whole minutes late. I was so worried, I called all the hospitals.”

Amy rolled her eyes and fired up her computer. “Jake.”

“How was lunch anyway? Two dates in two days; it’s like you’re still in the honeymoon bubble,” said Jake, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

“Can we not discuss that,” replied Amy, flushing a little.

“You know what that means,” he said. Amy raised her eyebrows instead of asking the question. “Someone’s getting it.” Jake continued in a sing-song voice, leaning back in his chair and pointing his fingers at her.

“Go ahead, be gross and invasive,” shot back Amy.

“Go ahead be gross and invasive – Title of your sex tape. Also, of the two of us you’re the one boinking so why are you cranky,” asked Jake.

“I’m not cranky; shut up.”

Jake gasped dramatically, a grin overtaking his face. “Is the sex bad? Did he make a grammatical error during dirty talk? He made a grammatical error, didn’t he? I knew it.”

“Did you talk to CSU to check who sent that message to Cindy?”

“Yep; they said it’s a slow progress. Also, Commissioner Podolski is in Holt’s office… I think he found out that Wint was our prime suspect.”

Amy grimaced as she got up. And then, sighing in frustration. “I need a pick me up.”

“The sequel to your sex tape,” Jake called out after Amy as she walked towards the break room. She flipped him off without turning back which only amused him further.

“What the hell man.”

Jake jumped in his seat, turning to find Rosa standing by his desk. How long had she been standing there for?

“Rosaaa,” he said. “How can I help you?”

“What are you doing?”

“Umm… police work?”

“No; with Amy.”

“Nothing. Why would I do anything? She has a boyfriend.”

“Exactly.”

Jake sighed and closed his eyes for a brief second. He leaned forward and spoke in a whisper.

“Look, it’s not like I’m not trying. I just can’t seem to get over her.”

Rosa rolled her eyes.

“If you like her so much, then why don’t you just ask her out. Let her know how you feel.”

“I can’t do that. She’s with Teddy; she’s going to meet his parents this weekend.”

“Fine. Then why don’t you go out with one of Vivian’s friends? Charles is always looking to go on a double date with you.”

“First of all, that’s crazy. I would never go to a restaurant with Charles; let alone Charles and Vivian.” Rosa nodded in understanding. “But also, I don’t know if I’m ready to get back out there.”

“That’s dumb. The only way to get over Amy is to get over Amy.”

“Get over it Andy; that’s a great film.” Jake yelled out loudly, attracting the brief attention of the other cops. He internally groaned at himself but he had spotted Amy walking towards their joined desks with a cup of coffee in her hand and panicked.

“What’s that,” asked Amy.

“A great film.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s British; you wouldn’t know.” Jake said hurriedly. “Let’s get back to work.”

Rosa rolled her eyes and walked away.

“Thanks for your help, Rosa. I’ll think about it.” Jake called out behind her. Amy looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything, instead choosing to focus her attention on to her computer. A silence enveloped the two of them, binding them in a bubble.

Later, Jake wished he would have listened to Rosa. Even if it would have been wrong to tell Amy about his feelings while she was Teddy, it would have been earnest, and vulnerable and full of hope. At least it wouldn’t have been a poor substitute for goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun fact: Jacquelyn is a ref to unbreakable kimmy schmidt. And I think I picked up a couple of Rosa's lines straight from the show because they were just so perfect. I love Rosa to bits, and to be able to write her is nothing short of a privilege. 
> 
> Anyhoo, comments are better than this holiday I'm about to take off on.


	3. Un-break my heart

_"Take back that sad word goodbye_

_Bring back the joy to my life"_

_\- Toni Braxton, Un-break My Heart_

Jake Peralta was 13 years old, (and as he would point out - a man) when he gave up on love. It had been a long time coming; he was in the eighth grade when he first caught his father cheating on his mom. He was 11 and up past his bedtime when he heard his parents fighting; yelling and screaming in a way that shook him to his core. After nearly a year of endless bickering, his father walked out and never looked back. His faith in love had taken a lot of hits over the years. But Jake Peralta was also a hopeless romantic (or rather a hopeful one) and at age 13, head over heels in love.

Her name was Jenny Gildernhorn and she was his first girlfriend. She also held the title of his first serious crush. The last page of his notebooks read Jenny Peralta, though he would never admit it… not after what she did to him. Jenny Gildernhorn, after all, was also the proverbial feather that broke the camel’s back.

“People cheat and people lie, and marriage is a scam created by capitalism,” said Jake, addressing Amy as he walked into the precinct.

“You’re late,” snapped Amy.

“I know. I was up all night going over Cindy Russo’s financial records.”

“Again,” asked Amy.

“I told you. It’s the best chance we have of catching a break and as usual, I was right.”

Amy looked at him expectantly.

“It looks like Cindy Russo was having an affair.”

“Really,” asked Amy in surprise.

“Yep. She paid for a hotel room twice and room service once. And I know it’s not much -”

“No Jake; this is incredible. We now have a new person of interest. This is exactly what we needed. And just in time for the morning briefing,” said Amy excitedly. She squeezed his forearm tightly as she moved past him towards Captain Holt’s office. Jake made an effort to ignore the lingering ghost of her touch, which was just another way of remaining all too conscious of it.

By the time he was settled in his desk, Holt called for the morning briefing. Amy sat beside him as the detectives gave their updates one by one, tapping her feet in polite impatience. At one point Jake unconsciously pressed his hand into her knee to get her to stay still so he could focus. She stopped and Jake, realizing where his hand was placed, drew it away immediately like it was on fire. He fixed his gaze on the front of the room, refusing to look in her direction but there was definitely no way that he could focus on the meeting after that. As a result, he didn’t even realize when it was their turn. Jake startled into attention when he realized that Amy was up and waiting for him. Clearing his throat, he quipped lightly, “Ladies first” and followed her to the front of the briefing room.

“We’re going to keep it short,” began Amy.

“- because we don’t have much to say,” interjected Jake. Polite laughter broke out in response and once it quieted down, Amy continued.

“Four days ago our victim Cindy Russo was found murdered in her house. Our primary suspect was Lucas Wint, the husband. But since then we’ve moved on from him.”

“Because his DNA doesn’t match the sample found at the crime scene.”

“Right. The ME has since then confirmed that Russo was choked to death. In addition to that, a bloody footprint was found near the body. It was a size 10 and so it’s safe to assume that our perp is a large man.”

“The blood from the footprint matches the DNA sample found at the scene. So the perp is a large man with an injury.”

Amy nodded at Jake’s addition and then nodded at him to continue.

“One last thing,” said Jake. “I was going through Cindy Russo’s financial documents and I have reason to believe that she was having an affair, making this person a potential person of interest.”

“Plus, Wint had mentioned that Russo received a text message from an unknown number asking to meet her. While CSU was unable to trace the number, it does fit Detective Peralta’s theory.”

“Good work detectives,” said Holt. “How do you plan to proceed from here on?”

Amy shared a quick glance with Jake and then spoke up. “We will go through the financial documents once more to see if can find the identity of her lover.”

Holt nodded in approval and then dismissed them after.

Jake had practically memorized Russo’s bank details by that point. But Amy had only reviewed them once and if there’s one thing Jake had learned being partners with Amy Santiago for nearly 5 years, it was that she was undoubtedly better than him. And sure enough, after three hours and one coffee break, Amy found a pattern.

“Hey Jake, have you noticed these weekly payments to Captain Orleans’ Carasoul Cruises and More?”

“Yeah. That company looks after your boats for you; helps in renting them out or whatever. I didn’t think much of it; it seemed like a weird rich people thing. Don’t they all have their boats or whatever?”

“No, but also, that’s not my point.” Amy pursed her lips in doubt but continued. “The company you’re talking about is Car-ou-sel Cruises International. Cindy’s payments have been to Cara-soul Cruises. At first, I thought it must have been a spelling mistake, but I don’t think so.”

Amy beckoned him on her side, pointing towards her computer screen. He stood behind her, leaning forward to look at her computer screen and desperately trying not to think about the smell of Amy’s hair (Did she smell like bubblegum?). On her screen was the website to Carasoul Cruises. It was a poorly constructed website and the company in question appeared to be a seedy bar.

“Why was Cindy Russo making payments to a highly questionable bar?”

Amy pulled up the address to the bar and swiveled in her chair to face Jake, who immediately straightened up to maintain some distance between them.

“Let’s find out.”

Jake nodded sharply, not trusting himself to speak with the way his heart was jumping in his chest.

‘Captain Orleans’ Carasoul Cruises and More’ was a hole in the wall in a dingy alley near East River and reeked strongly of rotten eggs and alcohol. The stench overpowered them a short distance away and Jake was coughing by the time they reached the door. Amy wrinkled her nose in disgust as she pushed it open.

The bar appeared to be empty save one patron who was reading a newspaper in the corner. Jake shot him his best 'confused look' as Amy flashed her badge at the bartender, who was wiping down the bar with a rag that was filthier than the bar and asked for the manager.

The manager was a short, bearded man with a pot belly in the making. He grinned widely upon approaching the detectives and introduced himself as Captain Orlando Orleans.

“Oh, that’s your real name then?” Jake asked before he could stop himself. Captain Orleans’ smile was still present on his face, though it wasn’t as wide.

“Yes.”

“Okay okay okay, cool cool cool cool.”

Amy cleared her throat. “Mr Orleans, we are investigating the murder of Cindy Russo. Do you know who that is?”

Captain Orleans shrugged. “Never heard the name.”

“Oh yeah; then how is it that this very bar that you’re the manager off has received a payment from her every Thursday without fail? That’s right; we did our research and we burned you with it.” Jake held out his hand to Amy for a high five. “Research burn!”

Amy shook her head and Jake slowly lowered his hand, muttering underneath his breath. “Okay.”

“Are you sure you aren’t referring to Carousel International? Their name is very similar to us but they got the spelling wrong.”

Amy clenched her jaw fuming. “They didn’t make a spelling mistake. You made a spelling mistake you crap fac-”

Jake quickly interrupted Amy, pressing his lips together to suppress a grin. “We are sure.”

“Well then, surely I can’t be expected to recollect every customer that ever walks in the bar; even if they are regulars. And certainly not by name,” replied Captain Orleans.

Amy pulled out a photo of Cindy and showed it to the Captain, who shook his head.

“Sir, if you recognize this woman and refuse to help us you can be charged with obstruction of justice,” said Jake.

“I swear man, I haven’t seen her.”

“Very well; we will need access to your security footage.”

“Sure, I’ll give you the footage.” After a second’s hesitation, he continued. “But it doesn’t matter.”

The detectives raised in their eyebrows, confusion evident on their face. Captain Orleans continued in clarification.

“Every Thursday, for the past couple of months, a man has been reserving the entire bar. Don’t even keep the staff around. That’s the guy you want.”

“Can you describe him?”

Captain Orleans leaned forward conspicuously. “Well, you know… he’s African-American.”

“Wow. That is extremely racist and entirely unhelpful,” said Jake.

“He’s a tall man and he’s also got a prominent gap between his teeth,” added Captain Orleans as an afterthought. “But I can probably pull up a photo of him from the security footage.”

“Okay. Thank you,” said Amy.

“And we’ll take the rest of the footage too,” added Jake. Captain Orleans sneered at him, his smiling dropping entirely as he turned around and headed back into his office. Jake and Amy moved to follow him but the bartender stood by the door blocking their way in. Jake glanced at Amy who shrugged. Turning back around, Jake smiled at the bartender and asked for a blackberry whiskey lemonade.

Their trip to Carasoul Cruises was quick and given the smell, both Jake and Amy were glad of it. After a stop to pick up some food, the duo made their way back to the precinct, determined to make some progress.

Hours later, as the afternoon progressed into evening, Amy looked up from her computer screen.

“I think Cindy Russo was having an affair with Devon Mound.”

“I figured that out after the third time he smacked her ass and she let him,” replied Jake.

Amy grunted non-committedly. “What’s important is that I think they were fighting in this footage from 6 days ago.”

Jake snapped his fingers and pointed at Amy. “And if Mound is the murderer, it would explain why she let him in and offered a glass of water.”

Amy nodded enthusiastically. “And he could definitely be a size 10.”

Jake got up and bowed dramatically. “I think we’ve found our next best suspect.” Offering his hand, he continued. “Do you want to go tell Holt before his robot brain short circuits?”

Amy grinned brightly and place her hand in his.

Jake had given up on love when he was 13 years old. And yet,  in that instant, her hand in his, Jake found himself feeling a little bit in… well, he may have given up on love but he was still a hopeless romantic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you so much for reading and for the comments. Fun fact - Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade is a nod to 'the only proof that I need' by elsaclack which is not only a truly phenomenal fanfic but also one of the very first b99 ones I read. also, I'm sure this was obvious but lucas wint is the person jake was investigating back in s1 in crime and specs. cindy russo is the name of the woman who started that fire (from the episode where Jake meets Amy's dad). captain orleans is the cruise ship captain from the cruise (shout out to doug judy) and devon mound is the perp from the mattress (the beginning of my obsession with domestic peraltiago)
> 
> basically i'm obsessed with this show (and hella pleased that nbc is in charge now. Have y'all seen the new social media pages. *_*)


	4. You're in my head

_ "You're in the morning _

_ You're every night after the day is through _

_ I haven't got a clue _

_ Everything I see is just a different shade of you" _

_ \- Rusty Clanton, You're in My Head _

Amy Santiago, on the other hand, never knew love. At least, not the one from her telenovelas. She didn’t know the grand gestures or the urgency or the need to lose herself entirely in another person. Quite frankly, she didn’t believe it to be true love anyway. What she did know was that her mother always waited to join her father for dinner, even as his cases kept him working late into the night. She knew her brothers, teasing and prodding and being fiercely protective of each other. She knew her father and the way he always seemed to know when her mother was close to breaking. She knew family and she knew it to mean love.

Amy was twisted at an angle in the passenger seat, her eyes on Jake who was on the phone. He wasn’t speaking much, except for the occasional yes or hmm. Amy glanced occasionally at her watch and towards the building in front of her but for the most part, her gaze lingered on Jake. There was something fascinating about the dimple in his chin which seemed to disappear within itself as he pursed his lips. He seemed weary; his shoulders were in a slump and crease lines appeared on his forehead. Amy clenched her hands in a fist to stop herself from reaching out and wiping them away.  _ That’s how mom would calm down dad. _ She physically shook her head to dispel the thought from her head. She turned in the opposite direction, looking out of the window. What the hell was happening to her?

“Sorry about that,” said Jake sometime later, having hung up the phone. Amy turned back to face him, a smile on her lips.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah.” Jake sighed as he continued. “Mum’s boyfriend broke up with her.”

“Oh no.”

“And stole some of her painted plates.”

“That’s terrible. Is she going to report him?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll probably pay him a visit anyway.” Jake continued after a beat with a small grin. “What’s the point of being a cop if you can’t abuse your power.”

Amy rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together to try and prevent the smile she knew was visible on her face.

“If you want me to come with, let me know.”

“Amy Santiago, you and going rogue? What is happening,” said Jake, gasping dramatically. He reached forward to press his hand against her forehead. “Are you sick?”

Amy swatted away his hand. “You underestimate me, Peralta. I can break the rules if the situation calls for it. Besides, if your mum’s ex really stole her stuff then he is the one breaking the law.”

Jake nodded. “Alright. Cool cool cool cool.”

“I mean it; I’ll join you in recovering your mom’s art," repeated Amy.

“I don’t think it even qualifies as art,” said Jake lightly. Amy just stared at him, not offering a response. She didn’t know why but it was suddenly important to her that he accepted her help.

Jake felt her stare boring into him and raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright.”

He felt a familiar nervousness upon her insistence and started to recognize his brain spiraling. Maybe she liked him too. Maybe she wanted to spend more time with him. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe… Jake forced himself to shut down his internal monologue so he could keep the conversation going. He wanted to tell her everything.

“I worry about her you know. She’s been through a lot with my dad cheating on her and then leaving her and all these terrible men… Ugh, men are the worst.”

Amy nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“And I think… my mom isn’t built to be alone you know. That’s why even though my dad was awful to her she stayed with him. And that’s why she stays with all these men. I think it would actually kill her if I ever left her.”

“You’re protective about her; that’s understandable.”

“Yeah… it’s kind of what I’ve always done. I look after her.”

Amy nodded in understanding. She came from a big family, with seven brothers and she was fiercely protective of them.

“I feel the same way. I would do absolutely anything to make sure my family is safe, and happy.”

“Anything?”

“Yeah; I know I like to follow the rules -” Amy paused as Jake chuckled and brought his first finger and thumb close to indicate ‘just a little’. “…but I think I would break all the rules for the people I love.”

Jake felt the heaviness in his chest that he always did around her, an intensity and warmth he couldn’t quite explain, but for once it didn’t cause a pang. It was a rush of feeling and he had to resist the urge to tell her he loved her. But he did and he wished there was a way to let her know she was loved without outing himself.

Amy brought him out of his reverie with a shout.

“Hey. That’s Mound.”

Jake snatched a pair of binoculars from the dashboard and focused on the man Amy was pointing towards.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

“You go around the back, while I go up the front.” Amy was quick to give her instructions and Jake followed her quickly, tapping his earpiece to make sure it was working. Amy did a half jog towards Mound who was still in the foyer, collecting his mail.

“Mr Mound?”

Devon Mound looked up at her in response to his name being called out. It took a moment for him to register her uniform and realize the implications of what was happening.

“I’m Detective Santiago from the NYPD and …”

Before Amy could finish her sentence, he bolted away from her, flinging his mail in her face. Amy let out a huff and chased him, tapping into her mic as she did so.

“Jake, he’s coming your way.”

“On it.”

Mound was at the foot of the staircase, rushing towards the back of the building when he spotted Jake. Quickly changing directions, he ran up the stairs with Amy in pursuit. Jake took the stairs from the back of the building, hoping to corner him. Amy kept giving him updates through the earpiece.

“Looks like he’s headed for the roof.”

“Why!” gasped Jake, his breath coming short bursts. He could feel the blood pumping in his ears and his heart rate going up. Mound was running full speed in his direction when Jake reached the roof. He skidded to a stop when he saw Jake and tried to turn back around only to have Amy coming in his direction. Amy cursed aloud when she saw Mound rush towards the edge of the roof.

“Is he going to kill himself?” Jake’s voice pierced through her earpiece. It was a pitch higher and screeching.

“The fire escape," replied Amy although it was unnecessary. The two of them converged at the top of the fire escape, watching Mound below them. Jake started off after him, but Amy paused for a moment before turning away.

Jake had managed to cover a good amount of the distance between himself and Mound but he was still a few a steps behind. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered under his breath when he saw Mound jump off of the stairs and run down the alley. He climbed down and raced in Mound’s direction to find him pinned on the ground, with handcuffs and Amy reading him the Miranda rights.

“Damn Santiago. How did you…”

Amy looked at him, unable to resist a smirk. Jake was glad that he was panting because he didn’t think he would’ve been able to explain why he was speechless all of a sudden.

“I took the elevator.”

“Noice. Smort.”

Amy grabbed Mound from the floor to drag him back towards their car.

“Hey, you don’t need to be so rough,” said Mound. Jake grinned between Mound and Amy.

“You don’t need to be so rough - Title of your sex tape.” He said to Amy. “Although,” Jake added as an afterthought, “You can be rough with me if you want.”

“Jake, come on. Be a little professional.”

“Title of your sex tape,” chimed in Mound.

“You – shut up and walk,” Jake said to Mound, his voice harsh. But once Mound turned away, he turned to Amy, a childish glee on his face.

“Title of your follow up sex tape,” he mouthed at her. She rolled her eyes, biting her lips to resist the grin on her face. But she gave in eventually, grinning at him.

Something about the twinkle in his eye reminded him of her brothers as they pushed each other around - there was a degree of comfort and intimacy that could only be familial. She felt her chest glow at the epiphany. She came from a big family and there were always too many people and too little space. As a result, it had never occurred to her that there was room for more; that she could find members of her family outside her blood. But there was no other way to describe Jake. (or  Rosa for that matter, she added as an afterthought )

Partners, colleagues, friends - they were all adequate descriptions but there was something lacking when it came to Jake. They were more than friends… but not like her and Teddy. Oh no, that was something entirely different.  Platonic more-than-friends might work, she thought, but it didn’t have the same ring as family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments. They've got me more excited than Holt eating a marshmallow for the first time. And holy fuck can we talk about #b99@sdcc. Also, quick fyi: I'll be updating this fic every saturday (unless someone's kidnapped me in a room without a wifi in which case please call the police jk thnx bye).


	5. I want it that way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: I don't know ANYTHING about crime investigations, police work or criminal law or anything. And I'm too lazy to do like actual research so whatevs.

_ “Am I your fire? _

_ Your one desire _

_ Yes I know it’s too late _

_ But I want it that way” _

_\- Backstreet Boys, I Want It That Way_

Later, when Amy looked back on the events preceding  _ the day _ , she wondered if she had known, or at least suspected on a subconscious level. But it was hard to know for sure because once he had said those three words out loud, they permeated through her memories, rendering them unreliable. Every conversation, every glance, every little favor he did for her was laced with an undertone of longing and… well, looking back, irrespective of whether she had guessed it or not, it became clear that he had meant them. And when Amy had turned away from, it became clear that she had meant it too. 

Jake and Amy were in the briefing room, staring at a whiteboard with sheets of paper scattered on a nearby desk. 

“I guess I could question him again,” said Jake unenthusiastically. 

“And ask him what?” Amy snapped at him. Jake’s face fell visibly and Amy a twang of guilt. “I’m sorry,” she apologized immediately. “But Jake, we’ve been at this for hours. He isn’t going to confess easily; we need to be smart about this. And he isn’t going to give up his DNA, and a judge may not sign the warrant… especially since he started talking about racial profiling.”

“Which is totally dumb.”

“I know. But my point is - we need a plan.”

Jake nodded, pursing his lips as he stared at the board in front of him again. At that moment, the door opened. Jake and Amy turned to see the head of their sergeant peeping into the room. 

“Hey guys, what are you up to?” 

“Oh hello Serge,” said Jake. “Trying to get a perp to confess; no big.” 

“I’m sure you’ll get him in no time,” replied Terry, stepping properly into the room. 

“Yeah, but this guy’s tough,” said Amy. 

“And you’re tougher. Terry trusts his detectives.” 

Amy beamed under the praise of her senior. “Thank you, Serge.”

“Is this about Wint’s wife,” asked Terry, before adding, “Maybe I can help.”

“Jake Peralta works alone.”

“Sure Serge, that’s a great idea.” 

Jake and Amy spoke at the same time. Jake frowned at Amy who gave him a brief glance before speaking again, hesitating slightly. 

“I think it would be good to have a fresh perspective.”

When Jake didn’t object, she continued. 

“We found the guy that Cindy Russo was having an affair with and we even caught arguing on camera, less than a week before she was murdered. He even admitted to all this,” explained Amy. 

“Now we only need his DNA, but his lawyers want a warrant,” added Jake, rolling his eyes. “Sergeant?” Amy waved her hand in front of Terry, who snapped into attention. He clearly hadn’t been paying attention to what they were saying, focusing instead on the whiteboard behind them. It was covered in different questions, notes with a picture of Mound in a corner. 

“Is THAT Devon Mound?”

“Uhh, yeah,” answered Jake. 

“You know him, Serge,” asked Amy. 

“You can say that. Some years ago, I worked with Major Crimes to take down Jimmy Figgis and we discovered that Mound, among a bunch of others, worked for him. But we could never find anything concrete on them.”

“Wait! Jimmy Figgis? As in The Butcher,” asked Amy excitedly. Terry nodded in affirmative. 

“We suspected that Mound was responsible for the smuggling of firearms for the gang. We almost got him for a couple of rings back in 2016 but they managed to destroy the evidence before we got to them.”

Amy looked at Terry impressed, and curious for more information. 

“I know it was for the good of the community Serge but I can’t believe you worked with Major Crimes. Terry, how could you? This is a complete and utter betray...al,” said Jake. He had begun the sentence with indignation but soon trailed off. A moment later he got up abruptly and rushed out of the room. Terry looked at Amy with a puzzled and slightly hurt expression. Amy, however, got up and followed Jake. 

Jake was in the interrogation room. He had both his palms pressed on the table, leaning across it towards Mound. Mound looked nervous but also defiant. 

“You can’t ask me anything without my lawyers,” he mumbled. 

“Oh, that’s alright. I don’t have a question for you. I have a proposition.”

Mound raised his eyebrows, clearly curious but didn’t say anything. 

“Look, you saw the evidence we have. You know that a judge will give us a warrant for your DNA sample, and you know it will place on the scene of the crime. Face it, Mound,  you're going to prison for Cindy Russo's murder."

Mound looked away, refusing to maintain eye contact with him. Jake felt a little boost of confidence and resisted the urge to smile. Keeping his face aloof, he continued.

"Lucky for you Mound, Russo was Lucas Wint's wife and Wint knows the right people. We want this case wrapped up as soon as possible."

"I told you before - you ain't gonna convince me to my lady's murder to confess for a lighter sentence."

Jake paused for a beat, uncertain. But then he took the leap.

"No. But we will have to announce your arrest. For the press, you know. And then the NYPD is going to take another look into your smuggling activities for Figgis from 2016." And then a pregnant pause. Jake hoped to gods that he was playing his cards right. "But I am sure Figgis knows about your loyalty, right? He'll make sure you're treated well in prison."

The realization dawned on Mound's face, along with fear. Jake let him seethe for a moment and then pulling up a chair, he sat down opposite him, continuing before Mound could say anything.

"But like I said, it's your lucky day. If you give us your DNA sample, and information on Figgis' activities,  we can arrange for you to have protection in prison."

Mound inhaled sharply and then finally, Jake allowed himself a smug smile.

 

Amy felt her heart drop at his smile; the sheer arrogance and stupidity were making her anxious. "I can't believe you did that," said Amy, in a whispered shout, once Jake walked out of the interrogation room. She had been observing from behind the glass panel, furious and indignant. "You blackmailed him," she hissed.

"Come on, Santiago. He called his lawyers. He's clearly thinking about it. And Holt's on the phone with the D.A's office now. I may have solved not one, but two cases. Chill."

"Jake what you did was reckless and impulsive. I mean, blackmail… come on!"

"Look, either the sample places him on the scene of the crime - which means he is the murderer, or it doesn’t, in which case he can walk free. I didn’t blackmail him; I simply played my cards right. Not impulsive Santiago, Improvisive."

Amy didn’t reply, fuming. She couldn’t believe him. He was one of the best detectives she knew, including her boyfriend Teddy but sometimes he was impossible. What if Mound decided not to take the bait, not to give his DNA but instead sue the department for blackmail.   _ Teddy would never do something like that; never put them at risk. He would play it safe… although… Jake was right _ , she thought, watching Captain Holt pace in his office.  _ He may have solved two cases _ .

They were lounging by Terry’s desk, listening to him talk about the benefits of blueberry yogurt when Captain Holt stepped out of his office and approached them, forcing Terry to trail off mid-sentence.

“What you did in the interrogation was a bold move, Peralta. But it paid off. Someone from the DA’s office will be here soon, along with a detective from Major Crimes. In the meantime, make sure someone swabs Mound and send it to the lab.”

Holt nodded at Jake, and then returned to his office. Jake waited until his door was closed before turning to Amy, who rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever! There’s no such word as ‘improvisive’.”

“Terry is proud of you two,” said Terry, interrupting their conversation. Jake gave Terry a high five, unable to contain his grin. 

“Jake, can I talk to you a minute,” asked Amy, nodding towards their desks, a sudden thought creeping into her head. Jake nodded and the two of them moved back towards their desks. Jake settled in his chair while Amy perched by his desk.

“I’m sorry if I worried you too much,” he began. 

“No, no. You were right… but you can make it up to me,” began Amy. 

“Anything.”

“Well, actually... this is a big ask and you can totally feel free to say no,” said Amy.

“Amy, it’s fine. I’ll do it. What do you need?”

“Teddy’s parents are visiting this weekend.”

“Yes, I remember. Do you want me to get you out of meeting the parents?” Jake asked lightly, in a mischievous tone. Amy paused for a minute. Jake wondered if maybe his tone was hopeful. God, he hoped he didn’t sound too eager. “Santiago, you’re bad,” added Jake hurriedly, keeping his voice casual.

“No,” said Amy firmly. “I don’t need to get out of that. I just… he wants to meet tonight so I can prepare, you know. But the Captain wants the paperwork ready before the DA gets here and I…”

“Come on, Amy,” said Jake, his voice incredulous.

“Look I know you think preparing for something like this is silly but -”

“Oh I do think it is silly but I also know for a fact that you are a planner. You probably have binders on both of them and you’ve managed to include their high school yearbook photos and I bet you know exactly which flavor of ice cream Teddy mother prefers. ”

Amy smiled slightly, before leaning forward excitedly.

“I do have binders prepared and they are very thorough.”

Jake grinned and pointed at her, his hands curled into finger guns.

“Yeah, they are. And I bet you used the good quality tabs.”

“I did. They were on sale too.” Amy grinned, unable to contain her excitement.

“You don’t need to prep; you’re going to charm the pants off of the Teddy’s,” said Jake.

“You do know that Teddy isn’t his last name right?”

“Eh, whatever.”

Amy leaned back to her original position, fixing her gaze on Jake.

“Look, he just wants his parents to like me. It’s important to him and it’s totally fine if you don’t want to say yes. I totally get it okay.”

Jake hesitated for a split second. He could say no, and then she would stay at the precinct, spending time with him instead of Teddy. And so of course, what he did end up saying was -

“Santiago, come on, it’s totally fine. Go meet Teddy; I’ll finish up the paperwork.”

“Are you sure?”

“I got you.”

Amy gave him an unexpected hug (it was more of an awkward one arm squeeze but whatever) and soon left. Halfway through his work, Jake looked up at the empty desk opposite his and something inside him shifted. He got up and made his way over to Charles’ desk, where Charles looked like he was packing up.

He couldn’t believe he was doing this. It had been a crazy day. He and Amy had caught Devon Mound, they were definitely going to get a confession from him, and potentially information on Jimmy Figgis. Figgis, who had been on NYPD’s radar for years and had been untouchable… until now. Now, potentially with the information Mound was willing to offer, they would have a new lead on Figgis.

It had been a crazy day, for sure, and yet, Jake decided as he gave Charles a high five, the craziest thing was what he was going to do next.

“Hey Charles, You have to promise not to freak out or say something gross.”

Charles nodded slowly, his eyes wide with confusion.

“Can you hook me up with Vivian’s friend so we can go on a double date?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I knowww that Jake comes across as a bit of a bad cop in this one but please know that it's for the drama of it all. I hoped to show that he can be a bit reckless and impulsive sometimes. Anyway; this was a long one, but ooo boy, it's getting real. 
> 
> Also, you can follow me on tumblr - professionalpenthief


	6. I want to break free

_ “It’s strange but it’s true _

_ I can’t get over the way you love me like you do _

_ But I have to be sure _

_ When I walk out that door _

_ Oh how I want to break free, baby” _

_ \- Queen, I Want to Break Free _

The first thing that he thought when he heard the news was that Amy was going to kill him. It was immediately followed by  _ No! That’s crazy. It wasn’t my fault _ . Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that Amy had left him in charge and things had gone remarkably awry.

Amy arrived soon after, at her regular time which was 15 minutes before her shift started at nine. She had a cup of coffee in her hand and a bright smile on her face. Jake noticed she even paused to greet some of the beat cops a good morning as she made her way to her desk.

“Good morning Peralta,” she greeted him as she settled down. Jake allowed her a moment and sure enough, she abruptly jumped out of her chair, her eyes narrowing at him.

“Why are you here before me?”

“I got here 20 minutes ago. Captain Holt called me.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

“Why would you assume I… yeah alright,” conceded Jake. “Devon Mound escaped.”

“I don’t understand. And why didn’t Captain call me? Why you; you weren’t even the primary on the case?”

“Captain Holt called me because he wondered if there was a mistake in the paperwork and since I finished up his paperwork…”

“Oh.”

“But I swear I did the paperwork perfectly. I came in early to double check and I even triple checked; he didn’t get away because of incorrect paperwork. You have to trust me.”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“Yeah; you’re my partner. If you say the paperwork was perfect then it was perfect.”

Amy sighed as she settled in her chair, taking a large swig of her coffee.

“So what happened?”

“When I left last night, I transferred all the paperwork to the DA along with Mound. I think Mound was in the DA’s office. From what I gather, they were questioning him till early this morning after which they were going to transfer him to the Major Crimes’ holding cell… for his safety -”

“That means his information was legit.”

“Looks like it,” replied Jake. “He disappeared on the way from the DA’s offices to the Bureau.”

“How is that even possible?”

Jake shrugged, and ran his hand through his hair, pulling at the strands in frustration.

“Captain Holt is in his office, figuring out this mess. And the cherry on the top of this stinky poop cake is that it’s a jurisdictional mess. His paperwork was still processing so technically he’s our responsibility but he was with the DA when he disappeared. But the paperwork transferred him to Major Crimes, and the officers transferring him were from Major Crimes.”

Amy scrunched up her face in disgust. “So why isn’t Major Crimes taking responsibility?”

“Because it’s what they do Amy; they use people and once they get what they want, they leave. They take no responsibility for their action.They’re the worst.”

Amy narrowed her eyes briefly. “Did you have a bad break up with someone from Major Crimes, Peralta?”

“No! I would never date the enemy.”

Amy took another swig of her coffee and got out of her chair.

“I should check in with the Captain. I’m sure he needs our help.”

Jake shook his head. “I think we should focus on finding Devon Mound.”

“That punk,” added Amy, a sneer on her face. “You’re right. Let’s catch him…but only after we inform Captain Holt.”

“Amy, come on. Holt’s busy dealing -”

“He’s my mentor Peralta. I’m not going to betray him.”

Jake scoffed loudly. “Betrayal is a bit extreme. Pfft. Betray -”

Jake was cut off when Holt opened his office door, immediately catching Amy’s attention. He beckoned them inside his office.

“Santiago, I take it Peralta has brought you up to speed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Excellent. Now, Major Crimes isn’t interested in looking for Mound.”

“What!”

“Santiago what I am telling you isn’t official so if you can not control yourself…”

“No, sir. I’m fine, sir,” said Amy hastily trying to assure him.

“Good. Major Crimes’ official statement is that they will keep an eye out for Mound, but we know what that means.”

“It means they’ll keep an eye out for him?” replied Jake, his tone hopeful and simultaneously skeptical.

“It means they believe that they have all the information they could get from him and he isn’t worth their time anymore,” answered Holt.

“Yep, that’s what I said. We said the same thing; I’m just as smart… whatttt.”

Holt silenced him with a look and continued.  “We, however, need him for the murder of Cindy Russo. Let’s not forget that Lucas Wint has strong connections within the NYPD and there is a lot of pressure to catch the man who murdered his wife.”

“Aye aye Captain,” said Amy, sharply saluting him. Holt frowned briefly at her but before either of them could react, Jake spoke up.

“I’ve made a list of places Mound could be at and I’ll check them out with Boyle. Santiago, do you want to maybe check out the DA’s office for any leads?”

“I think that is an excellent plan, Peralta. Detective Santiago, do you agree?”

“Yes sir,” admitted Amy. “I’ll check out the DA’s office.”

Holt nodded and as the phone on his desk began to ring, he dismissed them.

Nearly three hours later, Jake was banging his head against the steering wheel, with Charles in the passenger seat. The banging resulted in a steady series of honking and with each honk, Charles looked startled.

“Jake, we’re going to find him,” said Charles, reaching out to tentatively pat him on the back. Before his hands touched him, Jake sat upright, unaware.

“Charles, how? There were four potential hideouts he could have had and we’ve already checked out all of them.”

“We’ll figure something out. How about a little role play, huh? You know that always gets you in the mood,” replied Charles, nodding his head enthusiastically.

Jake pulled a disgusted face. “You have got to know what that sounds like!”

Charles shrugged lightly, not particularly concerned. Jake shook his head and continued. “You know what, never mind. You’re right. Role play could help.”

“Okay, Jakey; imagine you are an escaped criminal. What would you first do?”

“I would lay low.”

“… At?”

Charles quickly answered his own question, while Jake simultaneously replied.

“…at my home,” said Charles.

“…at a friend’s house,” replied Jake.

“Why would I go to a friend’s house? That would totally put them at risk and in all sorts of danger.”

“I don’t know. Why would you go back to your own home? You know the police knows about that place; they arrested you there. It’s the first place they would look for you.”

“But we haven’t actually been there Jake.”

“That’s because we know how his brain works and we’ve outsmarted him. Unless…” Jake trailed off for a moment, before slapping the dashboard in excitement.

“What, what is it?”

“Ow ow owie,” he cried out. “This dashboard stings.”

Charles nodded sagely in agreement.

“Unless... he knows that we won’t be there because we know that he won’t be there and so he’s been there all along.”

“Yes. I knew we could do it.” Charles cried out. 

Jake gave him a smug smile and a high five and then pressed the accelerator a little harder than necessary, giving the car a revving sound. As Jake drove towards Mound’s house, Charles cleared his throat loudly. 

“Soooo, how do you feel about Le Peri for dinner… with Vivian, and her friend Emily, ” he said.

“I don’t know Charles, isn’t Le Peri a bit fancy for a first date.”

“Come on Jake. Emily could be the one; the love of your life. This isn’t just a first date, it’s  _ the  _ first date.”

“Wow, you really think she’s that great,” asked Jake, surprised. 

“I don’t know. I’ve never met her… but it’s all about having the right attitude, and you sir, do not have the right attitude.”

“Of course I don’t Charles. I’m not going to go full Boyle and marry the first woman I go out with. I’m in love with Amy.”

“Wait, what!”

“Oh come on, don’t act so surprised. You know this.”

“I thought you said you were over her. You were all about the lone wolf life.”

“Well… I was wrong. Turns out I’m all about the relationship life. But she is with Teddy, so it doesn’t matter”

Charles sighed and shook his head. “And so you decided to use a nice, charming lady such as Emily to get over her.”

“You’ve never even met her,” protested Jake feebly.

Charles ignored him and continued. “That doesn’t sound like someone who’s ready for a relationship to me.”

Jake rolled his eyes but decided not to answer. Instead, he pulled the car into the same space he had parked it the previous day when he and Amy had arrested Mound. It felt like a million years ago. 

“We’re here,” he announced to Charles and they got out. But in less than 20 minutes, they were back in the car.

“We couldn’t do it,” said Jake, the frustration, and disappointment evident on his face.

“Come on Jake, don’t give up hope. We just need to think a bit harder.”

Charles was cut off as Jake’s phone began to ring. The screen showed that it was Amy calling.

“Hey Amy,” said Jake, picking up and placing the call on speaker.

“Peralta, any updates?”

“Nope. We struck out pretty hard. Please tell me you found something.”

“Maybe. I was going through the security footage at the DA’s office and I thought this one man was interesting.”

“Okay Okay, cool cool cool. And he exchanged a cool but subtle handshake with Mound when he was there that was also a code for ‘I’m going to get you out of here’…. Maybe?” asked Jake, getting his hopes up again.

“No. There was no handshake.”

Jake gasped dramatically. “Oh no. But there was a cool but subtle wink, wasn’t there?”

“What? No man. He had a really interesting tattoo that caught my eye,” replied Amy, her exasperation evident through the phone.

“Amy! I know men with tattoos are very tempting but you have a boyfriend,” interjected Charles.

“Yeah, Amy. Focus on the case,” added Jake.

“Yeah Amy, Focus.” Charles repeated after Jake.

“Peralta!” said Amy, her voice steely and Jake immediately sobered up. “He had a tattoo of a scimitar on the inside of his wrist.”

“Yeah. And I totally know what that means… but I think Charles doesn’t know so if you coul -”

“Oh Jakey, a scimitar is a sharp knife. Butchers use it all the time.”

Jake inhaled sharply. “Butchers use a scamiton.”

“Scimitar, but yes,” said Charles, excitedly.

“Jimmy ‘The Butcher’ Figgis!”

“Exactly,” said Amy, through the phone.

“I don’t understand,” said Charles.

Jake ignored Charles and addressed Amy directly. “Santiago, you brilliant bastard, I have an idea.” He hung up without waiting for her response. Charles grinned excitedly beside him.

“I have no idea what’s happening but I knew you could do it.”

“I know where to find Mound,” said Jake as he slapped the dashboard in excitement.

“Ow oww owwie... Still hurts,” said Jake, massaging his palm.

Charles patted his back sympathetically.

Jake was still massaging his hand sometime later when he called Amy. He was standing in an alley, with Charles kneeling on the ground some distance away. She picked up on the third ring.

“So I have good news and bad news,” said Jake in a manner of greeting.

“What is it?”

“Well, the good news is that we found Devon Mound,” said Jake, glancing back at Charles. And then he let out a sigh as his gaze fell on the body behind him. “The bad news is that he is dead.”

“What do you mean that he’s dead?”

“I mean dead dead; like pearly white gates dead. Though in his case, it might be the fires down below.”

“Figgis,” said Amy, realization dawning on her.

“Looks like it. Did you run the man you saw at the DA’s office through facial recognition?”

“Still processing,” replied Amy, her voice distant. “Could you hold on a second?”

Jake nodded, but then stopped himself as he realized that she couldn’t see him. After a brief silence, broken only by the traces of Amy’s voice as she talked to someone in the background, she got back on the line.

“So, dispatch is on the way. And hopefully, scampi-tattoo man will come through for us and be the murderer.”

“No, Jake. Listen, let Charles deal with dispatch. Captain Holt wants you back at the precinct, immediately.”

“Oh come on,” groaned Jake. “What did I do this time?”

“Will you just hurry? He looked serious.”

“How can you even tell?”

Jake couldn’t see it, but he just knew that Amy was rolling her eyes as she hung up on him.

After he had given Charles the appropriate instructions, he drove back the precinct. Despite his teasing, he kept a firm foot on the accelerator, grazing the speed limit as he drove. He didn’t wait for the elevator; instead taking the stairs two steps at a time to the first floor. He noted that Rosa and Terry were absent as he walked past the detectives’ bullpen. Amy, he observed through the glass door, was already in Holt’s office, sitting upright.  _ Probably took a seminar _ , he thought, grinning to himself as he pushed open the door.

“Hey Captain, you summoned?” Jake settled in a chair next to Amy, the two of them facing Captain Holt, who was sitting in his chair behind his desk. “Also, where is everyone?”

“Serge went home because Cagney and Lacey suddenly fell sick,” replied Amy.  Jake made a sympathetic noise and shot a sad face in her direction. Amy nodded, but her concern was overshadowed by excitement.

“And Rosa’s got a lead on the Pontiac bandit,” she added, unable to contain herself.

“What!” Jake practically screeched as he jumped out of his seat. He turned towards the captain eagerly. “Is that why you called me here? To ask me if I can handle both Mound-slash-Figgis’ and the Pontiac Bandit’s case? Because the answer is a hell yes. I’m an amazing detective slash genius; I’ve got this.” He said the last part with a wink and a smug smile.

“Please Ames, give me your blessing as primary. I swear I won’t slack off on our case. Please. You know Diaz and I have been chasing him for years.” He added, turning to Amy. Amy grinned at him. “I know.”

Captain Holt cleared his throat loudly, earning Jake’s attention.

“Peralta, please settle down. You’re getting ahead of yourself.”

Jake visibly deflated a little but remained hopeful as he composed himself.

“You won’t be working on the Pontiac bandit’s case,” said Holt. Jake opened his mouth, an argument ready but Holt held up a finger silencing him. “And you won’t be working Figgis’ case.”

Jake shot a confused look at Amy, hoping for an explanation. Amy addressed Holt, equally lost. She immediately rose to his defense. “Sir, Peralta was -”

“Neither of you will be working the case.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I mentioned I have absolutely no idea how police work... works (?)? Cause I don't; but it's fan/fiction/, not fan/facts/ so it's alright. Also, I am not sure if the next update will be on the next Saturday because I'm traveling and idk what the internet situation will be. But you should follow me on tumblr (@professionalpenthief.tumblr.com) for updates.


	7. Saturn

__ “You taught me the courage of stars before you left.   
How light carries on endlessly, even after death.   
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.   
How rare and beautiful it is to even exist.”

_\- Sleeping at Last, Saturn_

Amy fell silent as the words registered. Her mouth felt dry as she compiled a mental list of all the reasons they were being taken off the case; of all the things they could possibly be blamed for doing wrong. This could’ve been the biggest case of her career and for some inexplicable reason, she was being taken off of it. Jake must’ve been feeling the same way because he immediately began protesting.

“I don’t understand Captain. Why are we being taken off the case?”

“Major Crimes is stepping in,” replied Captain Holt.

“What! That’s ridiculous. Amy and I have been working on it from the very beginning. No one knows this case better than we do. You know we can bring Figgis down, Sir. Come on, you have to stop them from stealing another one of our cases.”

“Peralta, I suggest you calm down.”

Jake stopped talking immediately. He sat fuming in his chair, visibly upset and frustrated but he knew better than to argue with Holt after being explicitly told to shut up. 

“Sir.” It was Amy who spoke up. “This isn’t fair. Major Crimes wasn’t even interested in the case when Mound was missing. But now that he’s dead, they want to take over -”

“Yes. Because finding who killed Mound will lead them to Figgis; against whom the department has been building a case for a little less than a decade now. Far before either of you even entered the picture.”

“I can’t believe you’re actually siding with them. That whole department is awful. They have no morals and they constantly steal cases. They are like vultures; they just -”

“Peralta, drop it,” said Holt, his tone firm. “Besides, we have other things to worry about.” Holt looked tense. Even Jake could see it, despite the fact that the man was practically impossible to read. A heavy silence hung in the room, and then he spoke at last. 

“I received a call from Jimmy ‘the butcher’ Figgis about an hour ago.”

“What!”

“Did you trace the call,” asked Amy, her curiosity immediately piqued. “Was there any background noise? What did he want?”

“No. The tech team is still looking into it, as a precautionary measure but we couldn’t trace him. His call was brief, his message to the point…” Holt paused for a moment, dreading the words that were to come next. “He threatened both of your lives.”

Everything was happening too fast and too slow at the same time. A sense of haziness enveloped her; like there was an invisible barrier between her the world. Her mind was in many different places at once – focusing on the sudden distance that had cropped up between her and her surroundings, a distance that only she could feel. She was acutely aware of the beat cop standing by the door to her apartment. She had been sent back to her place to pack a bag of clothes and some quick supplies. 

“Don’t take too long,” her Captain had said. A part of her was pleased that the Captain was so tensed about her and then a greater part of her was chiding herself for latching on to Captain Holt’s worry (and other potential positive professional feelings for her). She was thinking about what it meant about her safety that Captain Holt was so rattled, about the fact that ‘potential positive professional feelings’ was a fun alliteration, about Jake, about her parents, about Tony, about Miguel, the gunshots. She could the see the white walls, feel the sickly sweet smell of a hospital and the dread, the fear. Her mother, crying in the church and…  Amy shook her head to physically dispel the thoughts.

It was a weird feeling to disassociate yourself from all the voices in your head. It was running at a mile a minute and all the chatter was simply background noise as the scene played out in her mind over and over again. 

“He threatened both of your lives.”

“Is that why you’re making us drop the case? It could be a prank. Or a bluff. Police officers get threatened all the time.”

“Peralta, this man’s street name is ‘The Butcher’; I don’t want to find out if he is bluffing or not.”

“Fine. Then we get to him before he gets to us.”

“Someone will get to him. But it won’t be you.”

“Come on sir. Major Crimes? Seriously? They don’t know what they’re doing.”

“Peralta, that’s enough. Major Crimes has better resources, the rightful jurisdiction and quite frankly, I’m starting to believe that they have better detectives too.”

Jake scoffed. Of course, he had scoffed. He was dead set against major crimes, against losing his big profile case. Of course, he was. Amy got it, more than anyone else. She understood the ambition, the high of a solved case, the adrenaline of pursuing a lead. The feeling of satisfaction when they figured it out and everything clicked into place. And then there was the added bonus of justice and improving the community. 

Amy understood it but she didn’t back him up. She couldn’t. All she could think about was when she was six and her father had been in the hospital… in a coma, for nearly a week. He had gone to drop off the boys to their soccer practice. It was something he did every week, no matter his professional obligations. The shooter had known that; had staked out the park; had prepared.

Amy was too young to remember the details. But she had flashes of her mother, crying in the hospital church when she thought her kids couldn’t see her. Her elder brothers had looked after her and Luca, the youngest two. Tony and Miguel had been inconsolable, refusing to leave their father’s bedside even as the visiting hours were over. Frank, the eldest of the lot had fought with the nurses as they tried to get them to leave the room. Two police officers were constantly by the door, standing guard. Two more had been assigned for the family’s protection. Her father’s colleagues, partners… even friends. 

“Peralta, it’s not just your safety that you have to worry about.”

And then it had clicked. She could see it on his face as the realization dawned. He gave her a guilty look that prompted her to speak for the first time. 

“Not me; you. Your mom… your family.”

He had gone quiet right after, apologetic even. Holt had given them instructions then, and they listened in silence. “Pack a bag, just the essentials. Don’t call anyone.” Jake had opened his mouth to say something but Holt interrupted him. “We will inform your parents and immediate family members.” Then he had slid two pieces of paper across the table to the two of them. “Report to this address in no more than an hour.”

It was a safe house. They were going to be on a lockdown till major crimes brought down Figgis, or till it was safe to assume that he was off their scent. 

Amy scowled at her room and then pulled out the leftover Chinese from her fridge and an extra carton of milk. She dumped it in a trash bag and placed it outside the apartment. She nodded at the cop who looked at her quizzically. She didn’t offer an explanation, instead of returning to her room to pack some more clothes. 

Jake was right. Major Crimes didn’t know what they were doing. They were probably going to be stuck in the safe house for a while. 

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA but moving across countries tends to do that to a person. I should be back to updating every saturday now and in any case, follow my tumblr - professionalpenthief for updates/ asks/ whatever. Hope you liked the chapter.


	8. Escape (The pina colada song)

_ “I knew her smile in an instant _

_ I knew the curve of her face _

_ It was my own lovely lady _

_ And she said, "Aw, it's you"” _

__ \- Rupert Holmes, Escape (The Pina Colada Song) _ _

 

Jake woke up the next morning to a loud crash. He jerked awake on the couch, where he had dozed off the previous night. A notebook fell off of his chest and onto the floor by his movement. He looked around startled, momentarily thrown off by his surroundings before it all came rushing back to him.

When he had arrived at the safe house the previous night, Amy had been fast asleep. He had poked around the house, curious and restless. Finally, still wired up, he had written down his case notes in a small flipbook that probably had been a gift from Amy at some point. He had fallen asleep reading and rereading his notes, as the day’s toll caught up with him.

He groaned and massaged his back, sore from having fallen asleep on the couch, as he made his way towards the noise. It was Amy, bustling about the kitchen. She had bags under her eyes and her hair seemed more voluminous than usual.

“Good morning Santiago,” said Jake, causing her to turn and drop a container of honey. Some of it oozed out onto the floor.

“Hey,” she replied, clearly just noticing him.

“You alright?”

Amy sighed and tugged a lock of her hair. “Fine,” she muttered as she bent down to pick up the honey container. Jake grabbed wipes from the counter and joined her.

“Sleep okay?” he asked, knowing the answer. Amy smiled politely.

“As well as can be expected.”

Jake nodded. He got up, and tossing away the wipes, pulled open a cabinet for some cereal.

“How did you know that the cereal would be in that cabinet? Did I miss a briefing?”

“No, Ames, chill. I couldn’t sleep last night, and I went exploring.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She didn’t say anything, her mind clearly elsewhere. Jake frowned softly, hating that she was distant.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Amy didn’t answer. Jake let out a frustrated sigh.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” he asked, changing tracks.

“Holt said to sit tight and that someone from the squad would check in every few hours,” answered Amy.

“So, what? We just stay put.”

“Yes, Jake. That’s what Holt said.”

“That’s bullshit. Holt is bullshit.”

Amy scowled.

“That’s how a safe house works. And this isn’t just about you or damned ego. I could be in danger; my family could be in danger. If something were to happen to -”

“You can relax Santiago; I’m not going to get your family killed.”

“Fuck you, Peralta.”

“Oh, that’s real mature Santiago. Believe it or not, I actually have a family I care about too, you know. I would never do anything to hurt either of them.”

Jake turned around abruptly, his cereal discarded and left the kitchen. Amy gaped after him, her expression betraying a million different emotions, but he wasn’t around to see any of them. Fuming, she slammed the cabinet door shut and stormed off to the master bedroom. She wished she could’ve done it without walking past him in the living room but there is only so much space in a safe house.

She resisted the urge to look in his direction and purposefully kept her stride confident and sharp. She felt him rolling his eyes in her direction but she chose to ignore him.

But the moment she was alone in the room, she felt the anger wear off and tears sprang in her eyes. She blinked them away before they could fully realize and automatically her hands reached for her hair. She breathed in and out, the familiar tune finding its way onto to her lips. The steady rhythm helped and the pattern she was braiding into her hair soon became relaxing. There were studies that proved that regular, methodic actions were the quickest way to calm down.

She laid down on the bed, still humming. She was unable to shut out the details as the facts ran through her head, going round and round in circles.

Cindy Russo’s dead body – asphyxiated in her own home by her lover.

An affair.

Devon Mound; a gang member. Devon Mound, a lover. Devon Mound, dead.

Devon Mound, murdered. Motive?

A man with a scimitar tattoo.

Jimmy ‘The Butcher’ Figgis.

Major Crimes Division.

Jake ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He was on the floor, surrounded by scattered pieces of papers. He had been staring at them for god knows how long, willing his brain to come up with a solution. Die-hard was playing in the background; Bruce Willis could always inspire Jake if not anything else. And yet – nothing.

The bedroom door creaked open well into the afternoon. ‘ _ Finally,’  _ thought Jake. He twisted to see her properly.  She had braids in her hair; something he had definitely not seen before. There was an uncomfortable silence and neither of them knew where to begin.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to figure out if we missed something,” answered Jake. Amy stepped further into the room and picked up a paper, reading it.

“You’re not backing off of the case?”

“Amy, I would never do anything that would hurt anyone.”

Amy sighed and rubbed her eyes.

“I know. I’m sorry I accused you earlier. I didn’t mean to… well, that wasn’t what I meant. I…”

“It’s fine. I know what you meant to mean.”

Amy smiled gratefully.

“And Holt isn’t bullshit,” added Jake. “He’s pretty much the – and don’t you ever tell him I said this – but he’s the best thing to happen in my life.”

A loud gunshot interrupted him. The pair of them jumped out of their skin and fell flat on the ground. They quickly adopted defensive positions before the realization dawned.

“Fucking Die Hard! Really, Jake.”

“I’m sorry.”

Amy rolled her eyes and got up.

“No more cop films or action films or anything involving guns in the safe house.”

“Aye Aye Captain.”

“I’m going to make some coffee and then let’s take a look at this case.”

Jake got up to follow her.

“I can make coffee Jake.”

“Were you going to put honey in your coffee today morning?”

“No!”

Jake paused for a beat.

“Yes,” said Amy, sighing. “We put it in tea; why not coffee?” She defended herself.

Jake burst out laughing.

“What!” said Amy, as she smacked his arm.

“Come on, Santiago. We’ve got work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know this chapter is a teeny bit angsty and it wasn't even intended as such. But as I kept writing it, Jake and Amy just ended up fighting. But I think they come out stronger at the end of it. And the next couple of chapters will have a lot of domestic! Peraltiago to look forward to. It's going to be great. 
> 
> Leave a comment/ come find me on tumblr.   
> Have a great day.


	9. Home

_**The story till now:** _

Jake and Amy are detectives are Brooklyn’s 99th precinct, under the leadership of Captain Holt. Their colleagues include Rosa Diaz - fearless, badass, leather jacket wearing, ass-kicking, gorgeous, terrifying… *ahem* and Charles Boyle and Sergeant Terry Jeffords. Jake has been infatuated with his partner Amy for a while now, but he is unable to make a move. Why? Because she is dating Teddy Wells, a harmless if not a boring gentleman who is decidedly in love with Amy. Jake tries to move on by asking Charles to set him up on a double date (He is THAT desperate) but Charles thinks he isn’t ready/ emotionally mature enough to have a relationship. Pfft… (Charles is right).

Anyway, a simple case becomes complicated - as it does in order to make for an interesting story - and fucks up their lives. The case? Cindy Russo, wife to Lucas Wint (a big shot civil service person) was murdered in her own home. After much fucking around, our detectives discover that she had an affair with a guy named Devon Mound who definitely killed her. Case closed, right? Wrong! They now have a big scary mafia leader called Figgis chasing them; threatening their lives. Just cause they happened to be doing their jobs. YIKES. So anyway, now they’re at a safe house, not wanting to die; not wanting to accidentally get their families killed and also trying to take down Figgis with minimum resources.

And that’s what you missed… on glee?

_“Laugh until we think we'll die,_

_Barefoot on a summer night_

_Never could be sweeter than with you"_

__\- Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Home_ _

  

Amy riffled through a series of index cards, perched on the kitchen countertop. Jake was on the floor, on all fours with his head inside a cabinet.

“You’d think they’d provide salt; or free pizza delivery in a safe house. Pineapples! If it’s pizza delivery, I want pineapples. Do not resist the Hawai Ames,” said Jake, his voice muffled.

“I think pizza delivery ruins the safe part of a safe house,” replied Amy.

“I think they have super old, expired salt. Can salt expire?”

“Your memory is sharp Peralta,” said Amy, not fully listening to Jake. Her focus was on Jake’s notes of the case.

“Always with the tone of surprise.”

Amy looked up from the papers. Her eyes landed on Jake’s butt, sticking out of the cabinet and for a brief moment, she found herself staring. She cleared her throat and forced herself to focus.

“Well, you did forget about Gailbraith, so…” Amy shrugged, trailing off.

Jake stood up abruptly, hitting his head on the top of the cabinet. He let out a loud groan of pain as he spoke.

“Gailbraith who?”

Amy gasped as the realization dawned.

“Fuck; I forgot to tell you.”

Suddenly there was a loud knocking from the front door. Amy shushed Jake as he let out another painful groan. She moved toward the door and then waited quietly. There was a pregnant pause and then the knocking resumed.

It was patterned - three knocks, a pause and then two quicker knocks.

Jake came up behind Amy and the two shared a conversational glance. Jake nodded and then Amy spoke up.

“Who is it?”

“Vanilla yogurt is good, but pair it with a blueberry yogurt and both of them taste even better,” came the reply.

Amy and Jake relaxed and opened the door partway through.

Rosa kicked it in further and nodded at them.  

“That’s a dumb phrase for a safety password,” she said in a manner of greeting. She sprawled across on the couch, putting her feet up so they dangled on the armrest.

“Our safety is not dumb, Rosa,” retorted Jake. He sat down next to her, rubbing his head while muttering under his breath. Now that the matter of who was at the door was resolved, the sharp pain in his head came rushing back to him. Amy left the room and came back, moments later with a bag of frozen peas. She handed it to Jake.

“You don’t want that bump to start swelling.”

Rosa raised her eyebrows at the exchange.

“That’s nurturing of you, Santiago.”

Jake let out a nervous chuckle.

“I bumped my head; I’m so clumsy. She’s just being a good partner. Don’t want me dead,” said Jake. He grabbed the peas and furiously started rubbing against his head, causing his hair to stick out.

“Amy’s a great partner,” said Rosa, with a smug smile. Jake looked away, awkward and unwilling to meet Amy’s eye who was confused by the oddity of the exchange. Rosa reveled in the tension for a moment - She always enjoyed an uncomfortable Jake.

It was Amy who spoke up.

“Do you have any updates on the situation, Diaz?”

Rosa sat up straight, her expression serious as the reality of the situation that had been momentarily forgotten came rushing back.

“No. Sorry guys; Major Crimes is being difficult but I know Captain Holt is trying his best. He’s pulling all the string he’s got; even the ones he would consider inappropriate.”

Amy nodded, glowing internally. Despite the frustration and the helplessness of the situation, it was comforting to know she had placed her trust in a mentor who was proving himself worthy of it.

“Actually; I came here to talk to Jake. Do you have a minute?”

“Are you here to confess your love for me in case I die?” he replied, jokingly. He turned to Amy, musing on his statement. “Do you think I should tell more people that I’m dying so they’ll confess their love for me?”

Amy looked at him with a classic Amy expression. One that was created only as a response to Jake’s theatrics. An expression that is equal parts annoyance, equal parts confusion and that says ‘Come on, man!’.

“I’m going to go be in the kitchen and let you guys talk… or whatever,” said Amy.

“Relax Santiago, you can stay,” replied Rosa. She turned to Jake, addressing him directly.  

“Holt put me in charge of the Pontiac Bandit case.”

Amy nodded, remembering the detail that their Captain has mentioned before delivering the news of the danger they were in.

“So he mentioned. Have you found anything?” asked Jake.

“I think so. There’s this guy - Doug Judy; something about him is off. He is definitely very close to the Bandit; in fact, I’d say he is the one but none of the descriptions from your notes match up.”

“Asian - Korean to be specific. 160 Pounds. Wears exclusively Italian business suits. Any of those ring a bell.”

“I read your notes; they don’t match up. This guy is Black, at least 200 pounds and he only exclusively wears hoodies.”

“It can’t be him. My notes are very very very accurate. I have spent years chasing this guy, Rosa. Trust me.”

Rosa sighed and leaned back in the couch.

“I know. I know you would rather have the case. But I promise you, I’ll get this guy.”

“For me?”

“Because it’s my job.”

Jake nodded; a soft smile on his lips. He reached out to hug Rosa.

“And you’re damn good at it. I wouldn’t have anyone else solving this case but you.”

Rosa pushed him off. “No Touching!” Her voice was firm but the corners of her mouth turned into a reluctant smile. Jake moved away quickly, scared.

“Don’t tell Charles I said that.”

Rosa rolled her eyes and got up, ready to head out. “Lunch break’s over soon.”

Amy’s stomach growled then, as if on cue. She clutched it, surprised.

“You should’ve brought us some food, Rosa,” complained Jake as Rosa offered Amy her hand. Amy got up from the couch and the two crossed her forearms, making a cross. Their hands swung down from the elbow, allowing the momentum to slap their palms. The two then launched into a complicated, well-choreographed handshake that ended with Rosa nodding at Amy.

“I’ll see you around, Santiago.”

“Yeah, you will,” replied Amy, promise in her tone.

“Bring us food next time,” grumbled Jake, awestruck by the handshake and put off that he wasn’t involved in it.

Rosa smirked at them before stepping out.

“Cook the peas.”

The two stared at the closed door for a moment. Once it was clear that Rosa was gone, Amy turned to Jake.

“I’d offer to cook you some food but -”

“You’re a horrible cook,” finished Jake.

“Actually, I was going to say we don’t have anything to cook with.”

Jake nodded. “Right right right right right. You’re right; that’s what I was going to say too.”

“And it’s rich coming from you. You once said the best thanksgiving meal you’ve had was mayonnaise with nuts.”

“It’s a great nostalgic meal Santiago, and you might want to get on that before I patent it.”

Amy rolled her eyes and picked up Jake’s notes on the case.

“I’m surprised you know what patent means,” she retorted.

Jake didn’t reply; his attention was caught by the notes.

“So, who’s Gailbraith?” he asked, nodding at them.

Amy sat up straight, all business.

“I’m so sorry; I forgot to mention what with everything’s that happened.”

“The imminent threat to the lives of us and our loved ones; is that what you mean?”

“Right. That’s the guy with the tattoo at the D.A’s office. I ran the face recognition tech on him and he has a record.”

“That’s the guy with the silmarillion tattoo.”

“Scimitar; yes. But here’s the thing - one of his known associates is someone called Augustine. But Augustine doesn’t have a rap sheet so I couldn’t find much about him.”

“That’s not very helpful.”

“Not yet, no. But it’ll fit in somewhere.”

Jake nodded. The two fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their thoughts.

Sometime later, Amy groaned.

“You’ve got in my head, Peralta. Now, I’m hungry.”

Jake burst out laughing. Amy joined him - the ridiculousness of their predicament given the gravity of everything else caught up to them.

“You know, if we weren’t stuck in here, I would actually be able to cook you the most incredible pierogi with potato pancakes. Maybe even some hot chocolate if you’re feeling fancy.”

Amy swallowed her saliva and let out a soft sigh. “That actually sounds like the perfect meal. It’s a pity I wouldn’t actually be able to join you.”

“You know, make fun of me all you want but I can actually cook really well. When your mom’s working multiple shifts cause you’re dad’s a garbage piece of garbage who is actually garbage because he left you because is a garbage person, you end up learning cooking. Did I mention that my dad is garbage person?”

“I don’t think you did,” said Amy. Jake grinned in response.

“So yeah; I cook good.”

“I’m sure you do but I would be with Teddy, meeting his parents - right now actually.”

“That’s one way to get out of meeting the parents.”

It was Amy’s turn to laugh.

“I suppose you’re right. We’ll back to our normal lives once we are out of here. Any minute now,” continued Jake.

Amy nodded, and let out a resigned sigh.

“Yeah, normal lives.”

Jake frowned a little at her reaction. He wondered if he was projecting because to him, she didn’t sound too pleased. He allowed himself to hope, for a tiny fraction of a moment.

“You know, if you aren’t into him, you can just break up with Teddy.”

“What! Of course, I’m into him.”

Jake hoped his face didn’t fall too obviously.

“Oh okay. Of course, you are.”

“I am into him.”

Jake nodded. Message received.

“I am. I am.” Amy paused for a moment, before adding one last time -

“ _I am?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have four things for you guys - 
> 
> 1) An Apology -  
> I am so so sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter up. It's been like 5 months overdue and even then, I know it's not my best work. I am sorry.  
> 2) An Explanation -  
> The truth is I moved across countries/continents/ across the globe to California to study screenwriting. So hopefully one day, I'll be in a writer's room for a show just like B99 making those sweet sweet dreams come true. But till then, it's a lot of time-consuming, hard work and so this fic kinda, unintentionally took the backseat. But it's winter break now, and season 6 is so close and there's nothing like those sexy NBC promos to get a girl writing again.  
> 3) A Promise -  
> Once my work load rises up again, updates may probably be irregular. But there will always be updates. I promise you I am going to finish it.  
> 4) A Thank You -  
> I want to thank you for sticking with it. I still get kudos and comments and it's is so so great to get that feedback. Thank You. I really hope you enjoy what I've cooked up for the next couple of chapters. 
> 
> xoxo  
> Have a good day.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone,  
> Thank you for reading. This fic is going to be super long and something that has been a (super slow) work in progress for months now and I'm really pleased with the way it's turning out. I hope you enjoyed it.  
> P.s. Comments are better than chocolate *wink wink*


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